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Hi Steve, apparently, the Japanese part of the equation comes from an immigrant in Mexico City last century who first commercialized them in the country, hence the name... (source: http://www.easymexicanfood.com/japanese_peanuts.html ) So the Sabritas version isn't quite the original, still, they're one of the most popular, while not bad, I think Mafer peanuts are a tad better, curiously enough, they are also owned by Sabritas, but marketed as the high end brand.

Hey, the Japanese peanuts are quite popular in Mexico http://www.mymexicanpantry.com/nuts-and-other-snacks.htmlBut apparently the most popular ones are Mafer and Sabritas, along with smaller brands, both Mafer and Sabritas are pictured above.

The ingredient is not wasabi but more of a soy sauce crust, makes things quite tasty I think !